aw—  - V. 


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Slaijmpn’a  iMtHStmtarg  JHofapmpnt 

ADDRESS  DELIVERED  UY 

MR.  SAMUEL  B.  CAPEN,  of  boston 

BEFORE  THE 

Annual  Conference  of  the  Foreign  Missions  Boards 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
PHILADELPHIA.  JANUARY  9.  1907 


“WE  CAN  DO  IT  2F  WE  WILL” 

Samuel  J.  Mills,  at  the 
Haystack  Prayer  Meeting 
Eighteen  Hundred  and  Six 


“WE  CAN  DO  IT  AND  WE  WILL” 


President  Samuel  B.  Capen,  o(  the 
American  Board  at  the  Centennial 
ol  the  Haystack  Prayer  Meeting 
Nineteen  Hundred  and  Six 


LAYMEN’S  MISSIONARY  MOVEMENT 
1 MADISON  SQUARE 
NEW  YORK 

O 


I 


®lagttmi’0  iHiaaiDnary  iHnupntfnt 

GENERAL  COMMITTEE 


Mr.  Samuel  B.  Capen,  Boston. 

Mr.  Harry  Wade  Hicks,  Boston. 

Mr.  Edward  H.  Haskell,  Boston. 

Mr.  W.  N.  Hartshorn.  Boston. 

Mr.  William  Shaw,  Boston. 

Mr.  H.  P.  Andersen,  New  York. 

Mr.  Seymour  M.  Ballard,  New  York. 

Mr.  S.  W.  Bowne,  New  York. 

Mr.  William  L.  Brower,  New  York. 

Mr.  J.  Cleveland  Cady,  New  York. 

Mr.  John  S.  Huyler,  New  York. 

Mr.  J.  Edgar  Leaycraft,  New  York. 

Mr.  David  McConaughy,  New  York. 

Mr.  Alfred  E.  Marling,  New  York. 

Mr.  C.  C.  Michener,  New  York. 

Mr.  Jo^hn  R.  Mott.  New  York. 

Mr.  William  D.  Murray,  New  York. 

Mr.  Eben  E.  Olcott,  New  York. 

Mr.  William  J.  Schieffelin,  New  York. 

Mr.  Robert  E.  Speer,  New  York. 

Mr.  James  M.  Speers,  New  York. 

Mr.  F.  P.  Turner,  New  York. 

Dr.  Lucien  C.  Warner,  New  York. 

Mr.  Mornay  Williams,  New  York. 

Mr.  John  W.  Wood,  New  York. 

Admiral  A.  T.  Mahan,  New  York. 

Mr.  F.  A.  Ferris,  New  York. 

Mr.  Silas  McBee,  New  York. 

Mr.  William  Dulles,  New  York. 

Mr.  James  G.  Cannon,  New  York. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Bulkley,  New  York. 

Mr.  IvUther  D.  Wishard,  New  York. 

Mr.  Robert  C.  Ogden,  New  York. 

Hon.  Chester  A.  Holcombe,  Rochester,  N.Y. 
Mr.  D.  W.  McWilliams,  Brooklyn. 

Dr.  W.  W.  Keen,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  John  Wanamaker,  Philadel])hia. 


Mr.  John  H.  Converse,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  William  C.  Stoever,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  C.  G.  Trumbull,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  E.  B.  Sturges,  Scranton,  Pa. 

Major  A.  P.  Burchfield,  Pittsburgh’ 

Mr.  William  Albert  Harbison,  Pittsburgh. 
Mr.  J.  Campbell  White,  Allegheny,  Pa. 

Mr.  Joshua  Levering,  Baltimore. 

Dr.  Howard  A.  Kelly,  Baltimore. 

Hon.  John  W.  Foster,  Washington. 

Hon.  Henry  B.  F.  Macfarland, Washington. 
Mr.  John  B.  Sleman,  Jr.,  Washington^ 

Mr.  S.  W.  Woodward,  Washington. 

Mr.  George  W.  F.  Swartzell,  Washington. 
Mr.  Andrew  Stevenson,  Chicago. 

Mr.  Hanford  Crawford,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Sev^erance,  Cleveland. 

President  John  Willis  Baer,  Los  Angeles. 
Mr.  E.  A.  K.  Hackett,  Fort  Wayne. 

General  Charles  Bird,  Wilmington,  Del. 

Mr.  Charles  A.  Rowland,  Athens,  Ga. 

The  Hon.  W.  J.  Northen,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Dr.  Marion  McHenry  Hull,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Mr.  E.  P.  Peabody,  Waycross,  Ga. 

Mr.  Robert  H.  Gardiner,- Gardiner,  Maine. 
Hon.  David  Percy  Jones,  Minneapolis. 

Mr.  N.  W.  Hoyles,  Toronto. 

Mr.  H.  H.  Fudger,  Toronto. 

Mr.  S.  J.  Moore,  Toronto. 

Mr.  J.  N.  Shenstone,  Toronto. 

Mr.  J.  D.  Nasmith,  Toronto. 

Mr.  N.  W.  Rowell,  Toronto. 

Mr.  W.  M.  Birks,  Montreal. 

Mr.  Henry  H.  Bridgman,  Norfolk,  Conn. 
Mr.  Ezra  II.  Stevens,  Hartford,  Conn. 

Mr.  E.  P.  Metcalf,  Providence,  R.  I. 


2Iai;mpn*B  fHtBstonari;  fHntipmntt 

A 

ADDRESS  DELIVERED  BY 

MR.  SAMUEL  B.  CAPEN.  of  Boston 

before  the  Annual  Conference  of  tbe  Foreign  Missions  Boards 

in  the  United  States  and  Canada 

PHILADELPHIA.  JANUARY  9.  1907 

On  November  1 3th  and  I4th,  1906,  there  was  held  in  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  in  New  York,  an  interdenomi- 
national meeting  in  commemoration  of  the  centennial  of  the 
Haystack  Prayer  Meeting.  On  the  afternoon  and  evening  fol- 
lowing, November  1 5th,  there  met  in  the  chapel  of  the  same 
church  a company  of  laymen.  The  invitation  to  this  meeting 
was  in  the  form  of  Call  to  Prayer,"  and  was  issued  by  a com- 

mittee of  laymen,  of  which  Mr.  Mornay  Williams  was  chairman. 
In  this  “Call"  it  was  stated  that  the  need  of  the  hour  was  for 
the  consecration  of  laymen  to  the  work  of  missions  and  those 
invited  were  asked  to  join  with  other  laymen  of  various  denomi- 
nations in  this  great  work.  Those  present  will  never  forget  the 
spiritual  uplift  they  received  from  these  two  sessions.  The 
time  in  the  afternoon  was  spent  almost  wholly  in  prayer,  as 
was  also  a part  of  the  evening.  As  a result,  the  following  pre- 
amble and  resolutions  were  adopted  and  a committee  appointed  : 

Whereas,  in  the  marvelous  Providence  of  God  the  One 
Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  beginnings  of  the  American 
Foreign  Missionary  movement  finds  the  doors  of  every  nation 
open  to  the  gospel  message,  and 

Whereas,  the  machinery  of  the  missionary  boards,  women's 
boards,  student  and  young  people's  missionary  movements  is 
highly  and  efficiently  organized,  and 

Whereas,  the  greatly  increased  participation  of  the  present 
generation  of  responsible  Christian  business  and  professional 
men  is  essential  to  the  widest  and  most  productive  use  of  the 
existing  missionary  agencies,  and  is  equally  vital  to  the  growth 
of  the  spiritual  life  at  home,  and 

Whereas,  in  the  management  of  large  business  and  politi- 
cal responsibilities,  such  men  have  been  greatly  used  and  hon- 
ored, and 


I 


Whereas,  in  but  few  of  the  denominations  have  aggressive 
movements  to  interest  men  in  missions  been  undertaken; 

Therefore  be  it  resolved,  that  this  gathering  of  laymen, 
called  together  for  prayer  and  conference  on  the  occasion  of  the 
centennial  anniversary  of  the  Haystack  Prayer  Meeting,  desig- 
nate a committee  of  twenty-five  or  more  representative  laymen 
to  consult  with  the  secretaries  of  the  missionary  boards  of  all 
the  denominations  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  if  possible 
at  their  annual  gathering  in  January,  with  reference  to  the  fol- 
lowing vitally  important  propositions ; 

1.  To  project  a campaign  of  education  among  laymen  to 
be  conducted  under  the  direction  of  the  various  boards. 

2.  To  devise  a comprehensive  plan  (in  conjunction  with 
said  board  secretaries)  looking  toward  the  evangelization  of  the 
world  in  this  generation, 

3.  To  endeavor  to  form,  through  the  various  boards,  a 
Centennial  Commission  of  Laymen,  fifty  or  more  in  number,  to 
visit  as  early  as  possible  the  mission-fields  and  report  their  find- 
ings to  the  church  at  home. 

The  names  of  the  full  committee  as  at  present  organized, 
I submit  as  an  appendix  to  this  paper.  A meeting  of  the  whole 
committee  was  held  in  New  York,  December  1 3th,  and  they  ap- 
pointed an  Executive  Committee  of  nine,  consisting  of  the  fol- 
lowing men  ; Samuel  B.  Capen,  Chairman  ; Mornay  Williams, 
Vice-Chairman;  John  B.  Sleman,  Jr.,  Secretary;  and  Messrs. 
Wm.  Jay  Schieffelin,  S.  W.  Woodward,  John  R.  Mott,  J.  Camp- 
bell White,  Robert  E.  Speer  and  Eben  E.  Olcott. 

WHY 

In  considering  this  new  movement,  the  first  inquiry  is 
why  it  should  be  organized.  With  the  present  multiplicity  of 
societies  and  organizations,  there  ought  to  be  a great  necessity 
to  warrant  the  establishment  of  another.  Any  man  to-day  has 
a right  to  challenge  any  new  organization  which  presents  itself. 
My  first  answer  therefore,  to  the  why  is ; 

First,  because  of  the  inadequacy  of  the  present  plans  and 
methods  of  missionary  xvork.  In  making  this  statement  I am 
not  failing  to  recognize  the  great  work  that  has  already  been 


2 


accomplished.  The  success  of  modern  missions  has  been  one 
of  the  great  triumphs  of  the  centuries.  We  have  planted 
Christian  churches  and  schools  and  colleges  and  hospitals  and 
printing  plants  and  have  transformed  nations.  The  success  of 
this  work  challenges  the  admiration  of  all  familiar  with  it. 
Nevertheless  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  this  represents  the 
work  of  only  a small  minority  of  our  church  members.  It  is 
believed  that  not  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  Christians  in  this 
country  make  an  offering  to  foreign  missions  worthy  of  the 
name.  I am  not  claiming  that  a larger  proportion  than  this  do 
not  give  a nickel  or  a dime  or  some  insignificant  trifle,  but  I 
believe  that  no  larger  proportion  than  I have  stated  give  for 
foreign  missions  at  all  in  proportion  to  their  ability.  That  this 
is  true  is  evident  when  we  note  the  small  average  of  the  gift 
per  member  in  any  of  our  denominations.  One  of  our  Boards 
has  reached  an  average  of  $2  per  member,  one  or  two  others 
about  $I  per  member,  but  with  others  the  average  is  less  than 
one-half  of  this  smaller  amount.  Is  it  not  pitiable,  nineteen 
centuries  after  the  cross  of  Christ,  for  us  to  be  obliged  to  ac- 
knowledge that  we  are  giving  on  an  average  less  than  half  a 
cent  a day  to  evangelize  the  world  ? 

What  makes  it  especially  reprehensible  is  the  fact  that  we 
have  grown  so  enormously  rich.  It  is  not  necessary  for  me 
here  to  repeat  figures  that  have  been  given  again  and  again, 
and  which  show  that  we  have  an  amount  of  wealth  in  our  pos- 
session which  a generation  or  two  ago  would  have  been  consid- 
ered fabulous.  We  cannot  have  any  patience  with  a man  who 
argues  that  we  cannot  afford  to  do  many  times  what  we  are 
doing  now.  Wc  have  the  money  in  our  pockets.  There  is  a 
perfect  mine  of  wealth  in  the  possession  of  the  rich  and  of  those 
of  moderate  means  alike,  which  is  as  yet  untouched.  It  is  not 
a question  of  can  or  cannot,  it  is  a question  of  will  or  will  not. 
Am  I not  right  in  sayi  g,  therefore,  that  we  need  to  supple- 
ment our  present  method.;  with  something  else  in  order  that 
we  may  more  speedily  evangelize  the  nations  ? This  is  the 
primary  purpose  of  the  new  movement. 

Second.  The  second  reason  for  this  new  movement  is  the 
indifference  to  all  foreign  missionary  work  of  very  many  in  pews 
and  pulpits  alike.  There  are  too  many  who  care  iiOthing  what- 
ever for  any  missions  anywhere.  Some  of  these  can  be  ap- 


pealed  to  through  patriotic  motives  for  work  in  our  home  land 
and  through  self  interest  for  city  missionary  work.  But  for 
work  for  people  thousands  of  miles  away,  people  whom  they 
have  never  seen  and  never  expect  to  see,  for  this  they  have 
not  the  slightest  interest  whatever.  The  missionary  message 
so  far  has  not  touched  multitudes  of  men  in  our  churches,  the 
very  ones  this  movement  is  designed  to  reach. 

Third.  We  need  something  radically  different  from  our 
present  plans  and  methods  because  many  people  do  not  consider 
proper  proportion  in  their  various  gifts.  We  rejoice  in  the  great 
benefactions  for  secular  education  and  philanthropy  here  at 
home,  but  the  foreign  missionary  appeal  is  too  often  forgotten. 
There  are  resources  enough  for  all.  The  time  was  fifty  years  ago 
when  the  missionary  appeal  was  dominant  everywhere.  This 
is  no  longer  true.  Thousands  of  men  are  making  their  per- 
sonal appeal  for  various  enterprises,  many  of  them  good  in 
themselves,  but  in  no  sense  comparable  in  importance  with  the 
missionary  appeal.  I was  present  a little  time  ago  in  a great 
metropolitan  church,  where  I saw  in  the  book-rack  a pledge 
card  with  a list  of  the  benevolent  offerings  in  that  church,  and 
there  were  twenty-one  objects  included  upon  that  card. 
Furthermore,  there  was  nothing  to  emphasize  the  six  mission- 
ary societies  of  that  denomination  or  to  distinguish  them  in 
any  way  from  the  other  fifteen.  In  other  words,  the  regular 
missionary  work  of  the  Congregational  churches  had  to  com- 
pete in  the  house  of  God  with  fifteen  other  causes.  Another 
church  near  my  home  has  about  twenty-five  in  its  list.  Cer- 
tainly the  time  has  fully  come  to  adopt  soine  new  plans  which 
shall  give  proper  place  and  emphasis  to  the  regular  missionary 
work  of  our  churches.  In  our  new  movement  we  want  to 
make  it  clear  to  all  that  missions  are  the  supreme  work  of  the 
church,  and  that  money  given  for  work  abroad  inevitably  tends 
to  help  and  not  hinder  generous  gifts  at  home. 

Fourth.  We  should  recognize  as  never  before  the  ivorld- 
zvide  opportunity.  The  doors  are  open  all  over  the  world  and 
the  commercial  traveler  is  entering  everywhere.  Is  it  to  be  an 
open  door  for  all  kinds  of  business  and  a closed  door  for  the 
Gospel  of  Christ?  And  that  too,  merely  for  lack  of  means  to 
enter  in.  The  element  of  time  in  all  this  work  is  vital.  In 
non-Christian  countries  which  have  come  into  touch  with  the 
western  world  and  its  civilization,  the  people  are  giving  up  their 


4 


old  forms  of  religion.  Unless  we  give  them  something  better 
they  will  drift  inevitably,  as  hundreds  of  thousands  of  them 
are  doing,  into  agnosticism.  Again  we  have  in  Africa  the 
Mohammedan  peril.  Many  of  the  tribes  are  giving  up  their  old 
heathen  customs  and  are  being  captured  by  the  Moslem  faith. 
If  they  adopt  this,  it  will  be  harder  for  us  then  to  reach  them 
with  Christianity  than  when  they  were  in  heathen  darkness. 
One  object  of  the  commission  is  so  to  present  the  opportunity 
to  the  churches  that  no  more  time  shall  be  lost.  The  rapid 
changes  in  the  Far  East  the  last  few  years  present  not  only 
many  opportunities  but  also  wonderful  possibilities.  Our  business 
men  must  have  that  broader  vision  that  takes  in  the  whole 
world. 

Fifth.  Our  own  spiritual  safety  requires  a more  vigorous 
missionary  campaign.  It  must  be  most  displeasing  to  Christ, 
when  he  has  done  so  much  for  us,  to  see  us  so  selfish  and  un- 
willing to  give  as  freely  as  we  have  received.  In  our  great  ma- 
terial prosperity  the  only  thing  that  will  save  our  nation  from 
the  sins  of  luxury  and  vice,  which  always  accompany  such  con- 
ditions, is  to  use  our  wealth  and  opportunities  for  the  saving  of 
others.  “The  heathen  are  saving  the  church,"  is  the  most  sig- 
nificant title  of  a recent  address  by  Bishop  Lawrence.  We 
might  go  even  farther  and  say  that  the  heathen  must  save  the 
nation.  America  must  save  the  world  if  she  would  save  her- 
self, and  our  laymen  have  it  in  their  power  now  to  turn  the  cur- 
rent of  thought  in  the  churches  to  these  higher  things.  We 
want  also  to  save  men  and  then  we  shall  have  their  gifts. 

Sixth.  A proper  recognition  and  appreciation  of  the  brave 
men  who  represent  us  at  the  front  demand  that  we  do  far  more 
than  we  are  doing  now  to  support  them.  We  are  practically 
starving  them  out  and  crippling  them  for  the  want  of  supplies 
and  proper  reinforcements.  Only  in  missions  is  there  failure  to 
press  with  energy  and  enterprise  every  advantage. 

Seventh.  At  the  Thirteenth  Annual  Conference  of  the 
Foreign  Missions  Boards  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  held 
just  previous  to  the  Student  Volunteer  Convention,  at  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  February  28  to  March  4,  1906,  the  following 
resolutions  were  adopted,  calling  for  one  thousand  volunteers 
per  year  until  the  fields  are  occupied  : 

“ That  it  is  the  judgment  of  this  Conference  that  in  order 
to  arouse  the  Churches  to  a sense  of  their  privilege  and  respon- 


5 


sibility,  and  in  order  to  meet  but  inadequately  the  present 
needs  in  the  mission  fields  under  the  boards  represented  by'this 
Conference,  there  ought  to  be  at  least  one  thousand  volunteers 
ready  to  be  sent  each  year  until  those  fields  are  occupied  in 
force. 

^‘That  we  appeal  to  the  students  represented  in  this 
quadrennial  students’  convention  that  they  by  asking  to  be 
sent  to  these  needy  waiting  fields  a thousand  strong  each  year, 
challenge  the  Churches,  where  final  responsibility  must  rest, 
to  provide  the  necessary  funds.” 

With  the  enthusiasm  at  present  evident  among  the  young 
people  of  our  country  it  is  easily  possible  to  have  in  a short 
time  a thousand  volunteers  each  year  ready  for  the  field.  If 
this  is  true,  certainly  we  must  be  up  and  doing  to  have  the 
means  ready  to  finance  the  work  of  this  increasing  number  of 
men  and  women  eager  to  go  to  the  front. 

Eighth,  We  need  a great  addition  to  the  Christian  educa- 
tional institutions  abroad,  in  order  to  train  more  rapidly  native 
teachers  and  preachers.  We  need  more  hospitals  and  more 
printing  and  industrial  plants.  As  we  have  been  going  on  the 
last  few  years,  no  one  of  our  missionary  boards  out  of  its  regu- 
lar income  can  supply  these  needs.  We  want  what  President 
King  of  Oberlin  has  called  “capitalistic  statesmen.” 

WHAT  THE  MOVEMENT  IS  NOT 

(1)  It  is  not  a new  Missionary  Board  to  collect  funds  or 
to  administer  them ; it  is  not  to  raise  up  or  to  send  out  mis- 
sionaries ; it  is  not  to  seek  to  use  its  influence  among  young 
people,  students  or  women;  but  its  work  is  to  be  chiefly  among 
the  mature  men  of  the  church. 

(2)  It  is  not  an  interdenominational  movement  which 
proposes  to  do  its  work  outside  of  regular  denominational  lines 
or  to  make  r.  new  Missionary  Brotherhood  independent  of  those 
already  established. 

WHAT  IT  IS 

In  the  spirit  of  the  declaration  of  principles  already  giyen, 
it  is  first  a ^'movement."  I haye  always  liked  the  word.  It 
jxpresses  life,  energy,  progress.  It  represents  something  not 
necessarily  bound  to  old  traditions  and  certainly  something 


6 


that  does  not  run  in  ruts.  It  is  a dynamo  giving  added  force 
and  power  to  existing  machinery.  It  is  a promoting  agency  to 
facilitate  work  already  under  way.  We  want  to  create,  if  pos- 
sible, a tremendous  energy  which  shall  be  felt  through  all  our 
churches. 

Second.  It  is  a **missionary  movement."  It  has  a great 
ideal,  namely,  to  reach  the  whole  world  in  this  generation.  It 
recognizes  the  fact  that  the  church  has  been  in  the  ‘‘retail 
business"  long  enough.  It  is  a challenge  for  something  larger 
and  more  far-reaching.  Its  broad  statesmanship  will  appeal  to 
men.  Its  purpose  is  to  do  the  largest  thing  of  which  anyone 
has  any  conception, — “to  devise  a comprehensive  plan  (in  con- 
junction with  said  Board  secretaries)  looking  toward  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  world  in  this  generation."  It  is  to  ask  the 
men  of  this  generation  not  to  pass  their  own  work  on  to  future 
generations,  but  to  do  it  themselves,  now. 

Third.  It  is  a "'laymen' s missionary  movement."  It  is 
intended  for  the  mature  men  of  this  generation  who  are  in  the 
thick  of  the  fight.  It  is  not  an  appeal  to  students  or  to  women 
and  young  people  ; the  special  work  for  these  classes  belongs  to 
other  organizations  ; it  is  an  appeal  to  the  mature  men  of  today 
who  now  have  in  hand  the  money  which  they  can  give  if  they 
will,  and  who  can  moreover  give  their  time  and  thought  and 
prayer  to  the  work. 

Fourth.  It  is  an  effort  to  get  the  denominations  at  home 
to  work  more  closely  together  than  ever  before.  It  is  well  un- 
derstood that  there  is  a closer  harmony  of  work  on  the  field 
than  here  in  the  home  land.  This  plan  will  appeal  to  the  busi- 
ness men  of  today.  It  is  in  harmony  with  modern  methods  in 
the  business  world.  We  want  to  utilize  the  principles  of  legiti- 
mate promoting.  Together  twentieth  century  watchword. 

HOW 

First.  As  already  seen,  we  have  a large  central  committee 
in  which  we  expect  to  have  all  the  large  denominations  repre- 
sented and  in  which  we  have  included  representatives  of  kindred 
movements.  It  is,  in  a sense,  an  interdenominational  federa- 
tion, through  this  committee,  of  foreign  missionary  work.  We 
hope  in  time  to  have  a body  of  at  least  a hundred  men  who 


7 


shall  meet  perhaps  once  or  twice  a year  for  consultation  and 
action.  It  is  proposed  to  select  these  men  with  great  care, 
every  one,  to  quote  Mr.  Mott,  being  a “live  wire.'' 

Second.  It  is  our  purpose  to  devise  some  plaji  for  bringing 
men,  through  pledges  or  otherwise,  under  such  positive  and 
definite  obligations  for  missionary  support  as  shall  match  the 
present  day  opportunities  and  be  worthy  of  themselves,  and 
worthy  of  Christ. 

Third.  It  is  our  thought  to  work  wherever  possible 
through  existing  orga7iizations.  We  have  men's  clubs  and 
various  organizations  which  may  be  utilized  in  cooperation 
with  the  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement.  In  this  we 
shall  simply  be  following  the  plan  of  the  Student  Volunteers, 
who,  in  our  colleges,  have  used  wherever  possible  the  existing 
organizations.  In  some  of  the  churches  one  Board  has  charge  of 
the  work  of  both  Home  and  Foreign  Missions.  Such  Boards  may 
consider  it  expedient  to  have  the  movement  embrace  the  whole 
work  carried  on  by  the  Board.  This  is  a matter  the  committee 
leaves  to  the  judgment  of  each  Board  so  constituted,  trusting 
the  Board  to  keep  in  view  the  central  object  of  the  movement — 
the  evangelization  of  the  world. 

Fourth.  We  would  respectfully  ask  this  Conference  of 
Secretaries  to  comply  with  the  resolutions  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  movement,  which  read  as  follows : 

Resolved : 

That  we  earnestly  recommend  to  the  Foreign  Missions 
Boards  of  all  denominations  that  they  secure  groups 
of  laymen  to  promote  campaigns  of  intelligent  and 
generous  interest  in  foreign  missions,  with  special 
reference  to  the  men  of  the  church,  the  expense  of 
these  movements  to  be  borne  whenever  possible  by 
such  groups  of  men,  so  that  the  funds  of  the  Boards 
shall  not  be  drawn  upon. 

Resolved : 

That  we  request  the  Boards  to  ascertain  from  their  mis- 
sions what  they  will  need  in  men  and  money  in  order 
to  evangelize  in  this  generation  the  peoples  for  whose 
evangelization  they  are  responsible;  that  we  further 
request  each  Board  to  consider  the  desirability  of 


8 


adopting  as  a part  of  its  policy  the  provision  of  the 
men  and  money  needed  for  this  purpose  ; and  we 
further  request  each  Board  to  bring  before  its  church 
or  churches  the  question  of  the  authorization  of  this 
policy  and  the  adoption  of  such  plans  as  will  make 
possible  its  accomplishment. 

Resolved  : 

That  we  pledge  the  support  of  this  movement  to  the 
Boards  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  policy  and 
objective. 

Resolved  : 

That  we  urge  an  energetic  agitation  of  the  whole  matter 
with  a view  to  immediate  and  aggressive  action. 

Fifth.  We  believe  it  is  possible  to  reach  the  mature  men 
of  our  churches  through  parlor  conferences  and  dining-room 
conferences,  where  we  can  get  into  close  touch  with  them.  We 
believe  that  such  a policy  will  be  far  more  successful  than  the 
old  formal  public  meeting  where  it  is  most  difficult  to  get  a 
grip  on  individuals.  We  believe  in  this  way  we  can  have  more 
of  what  Mr.  Wishard  called  ‘‘organized  pressure.” 

Sixth.  We  believe  that  it  is  possible  by  dividing  up  the 
missionary  work  to  have  the  local  churches  through  their  lay- 
men practically  underwrite  the  budget,  leaving  the  receipts 
from  the  Sunday  Schools,  etc.,  for  advance  work. 

Seventh.  We  hope  it  will  be  possible  to  come  to  some 
agreement  among  our  laymen  whereby  a certain  hour  in  the 
day,  say  12  o'clock,  may  be  used  for  a few  moments  of  silent 
prayer  for  missions.  This  is  already  the  plan  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  St.  Andrew  in  the  Episcopal  Church.  It  would  be  the 
recognition  anew  of  prayer  as  today  the  mightiest  force  in  the 
world. 

Eighth.  Recognizing  the  need  of  more  intelligence  upon 
missionary  subjects  among  our  laymen,  we  hope  there  may 
be  prepared  by  the  Boards  leaflets  which  shall  give  in  a 
pithy  way  the  facts  relative  to  the  foreign  missionary  work. 
The  need  of  more  such  literature  in  attractive  form  must  be 
apparent  to  any  one  who  has  given  it  thought  or  who  has  tried 
to  find  material  to  use  for  the  business  man  who  does  not  be- 
lieve in  foreign  missions.  The  shrinkage  of  the  world  through 


9 


the  discovery  of  steam  and  the  cable  has  in  many  ways 
changed  the  age  of  the  heroic  in  missions.  Young  men  and 
women  do  not  sail  out  now  into  the  unknown.  We  must  sub- 
stitute for  this  an  appeal  that  rests  upon  a principle  founded  in 
turn  upon  knowledge  and  education. 

Ninth.  We  believe  that  great  good  can  oe  accomplished 
through  a commission  of  laymen,  which,  in  conference  with  the 
Missionary  Boards,  we  hope  to  be  able  to  send  abroad  at  an 
early  date.  We  all  know  how  much  skepticism  and  unbelief 
there  is  with  regard  to  our  whole  missionary  work.  If  a com- 
mission of  men  well  known  in  the  business  world  should  make 
a critical  examination  of  our  missions,  and  report  what  they 
see,  we  believe  the  result  would  be  of  inestimable  value 
in  putting  the  truth  before  the  men  at  home.  It  is  the 
method  now  being  used  in  educational  circles  and  its  value 
would  be  as  great  in  this  department.  Furthermore,  such  a 
commission  would  be  of  the  greatest  possible  value  to  the 
Orient.  The  merchants  of  the  East  have  seen  the  business  of 
our  country  represented  by  men  who  are  too  often  utterly  un- 
worthy and  who  bring  shame  and  reproach  upon  our  Christian 
civilization.  Let  them  see  the  Christian  men  of  America  at 
their  best  and  we  shall  do  much  to  remove  this  reproach.  We 
hope,  therefore,  that  the  Board  Secretaries  will  recommend 
the  adoption  of  these  resolutions  from  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  the  laymen's  missionary  movement: 

Resolved : 

That  we  solicit  the  cooperation  of  the  Boards  in  making 
up  at  as  early  a date  as  possible,  the  full  member- 
ship of  the  commission. 

Resolved  : 

That  we  recommend  that  the  commission  so  appointed 
plan  to  present  its  final  report  to  the  church  at 
home  as  early  as  practicable  in  1908. 

Tenth.  By  following  the  above  plans  we  believe  that  ulti- 
mately the  men  of  the  churches  of  all  denominations  working 
together  can  be  formed  into  what  may  be  called  a great  nds- 
sionary  party  with  leaders  from  all  the  denominations. 


lO 


Finally,  let  it  be  said  that  it  seems  to  us  that  in  the 
Providence  of  God  this  movement  is  just  what  is  needed  to 
furnish  the  money  and  thus  hasten  the  final  triumph.  We 
must  recognize  the  evolution  and  progress  in  missionary  plans 
which  have  been  going  on  during  the  past  twenty-five  years. 
The  idea  of  evangelizing  the  world  in  this  generation  was  criti- 
cised, not  to  say  ridiculed,  when  it  was  first  spoken  of  a few 
years  ago.  Now  it  is  unanimously  adopted  at  a meeting  of 
laymen  composed  of  some  of  the  most  alert  and  practical  men 
in  business  life  today.  We  have  had  Christian  Endeavor  So- 
cieties and  Epworth  Leagues  and  other  kindred  organizations 
among  the  young  people,  which  have  been  turning  the  thoughts 
of  the  youth  of  our  country  to  the  supreme  importance  of  mis- 
sionary work.  We  have  had  the  Interdenominational  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Movement  helping  to  federate  the  students  of  the  world. 
Twenty  years  ago  there  was  organized  the  Student  Volunteer 
Movement  which  has  already  become  such  a gigantic  force  and 
which  has  for  its  field  the  200,000  students  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  Five  years  ago  came  the  Young  People’s 
Missionary  Movement  which  is  in  a sense  the  “home  base”  of 
the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  and  which  has  for  its 
field  chiefly  the  20,000,000  of  young  people.  It  will  be 
noted  that  these  Movements  are  especially  working  upon  the 
men  of  tomorrow  and  they  certainly  are  training  a generation 
which  we  hope  will  accomplish  ten-fold  more  than  the  present 
one.  This  new  Movement  deals  not  with  these  classes  but 
with  men  who  are  today  doing  the  work  of  the  world,  who  are 
bearing  its  burdens,  and  who  have  in  their  possession  the  money 
needed  to  complete  the  task.  In  other  words,  the  Student 
Volunteer  Movement  has  to  do  with  providing  the  missionaries. 
The  Young  People’s  Missionary  Movement  has  to  do  with  the 
missionary  educatioyi  a7id  training  of  the  me7i  a7id  wo77ie7i  of  to- 
7norToiv.  The  Missionary  Boards  are  admirably  equipped  for 
the  work  of  ad77iinistration.  The  purpose  of  this  new  Move- 
ment is  to  furnish  more  rapidly  the  77toney  and  to  help  push 
the  work  all  along  the  line. 

For  many  years  I have  sat  upon  the  Prudential  Commit- 
tee of  the  American  Board  and  listened  to  the  pleas  of  the  men 
at  the  front  who  are  breaking  under  the  loads  they  are  carry- 
ing. They  see  the  awful  need  all  about  them,  they  hear  the 


cry  of  the  people  for  help,  they  know  there  is  money  enough  at 
home  to  do  all  that  is  needed,  they  are  pouring  out  their  own 
life  blood  day  by  day,  and  we  have  been  too  often  refusing  their 
calls.  I cannot  bear  it  any  longer,  unless  I join  with  you  in 
this  new  movement  to  arouse  the  men  of  our  churches  to  the 
glorious  opportunities  and  to  the  realization  of  the  fact  that  we 
are  in  honor  bound  to  do  more  than  we  are  now  doing.  I do 
not  want  to  make  my  report  in  the  great  assize  beyond  with- 
out doing  what  I may  in  this  new  effort.  In  Christ's  name  I 
believe  we  shall  win  the  day.  Brother-men,  we  can  do  it 
and  we  will. 

The  first  missionary  movement  was  born  in  a prayer  meet- 
ing covering  the  ten  days  preceding  the  day  of  Pentecost  and 
all  the  great  missionary  movements  in  the  centuries  since  have 
commenced  in  prayer.  The  movement  of  modern  American 
missions  began  a hundred  years  ago  in  a prayer  meeting  under 
the  shelter  of  the  Haystack  at  Williamstown.  The  Student 
Volunteer  Movement  and  the  Young  People's  Missionary  Move- 
ment began  in  a similar  way.  This  new  Movement  started 
right.  In  its  turn  it  began  in  a prayer  meeting,  composed  of 
businessmen  and  held  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  the  commercial  metropolis  of  our  country.  Having 
been  begun  in  prayer,  may  the  Lord  giye  such  divine  guidance 
and  such  increased  and  increasing  gifts  that  the  triumph  of  the 
Cross  may  not  be  far  away. 


Report  of  the  Business  Committee  of  the  Conference 
presented  by  its  Chairman  at  the  Afternoon  Session 

JANUARY  9.  1907 


The  Business  Committee  to  which  was  referred  the  paper 
read  by  the  Mr.  S.  B.  Capen,  of  Boston,  on  the  Laymen's 
Missionary  Movement,  after  a prayerful  consideration  of  the 
paper,  begs  leave  to  report  as  follows: 

In  behalf  of  the  representatives  of  the  Foreign  Mission 
Boards  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  in  conference  as- 
sembled, in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Jan.  9,  1907,  we  earnestly 
express  our  appreciation  of  the  Laymen's  Missionary  Movement 
as  outlined  by  Mr.  Samuel  B.  Capen,  who  represents  in  his 
communication  a large  number  of  Christian  business  men  who 
are  profoundly  interested  in,  and  committed  to  the  enterprise 
of  the  evangelization  of  the  world  in  this  generation. 

We  recognize  this  movement  as  providential,  having  been 
born  of  prayer  and  of  the  Spirit.  In  its  spontaneity  and  time- 
liness it  gives  evidence  of  the  hand  of  God,  and  we  are  pro- 
foundly convinced  that  this  is  but  another  step  in  advance 
toward  the  completion  of  His  great  purpose  in  the  redemption 
of  mankind. 

The  purpose  of  the  Laymen's  Missionary  Movement,  as  ex- 
pressed in  the  action  of  the  Laymen  who  were  called  together 
for  prayer  and  conference,  in  commemoration  of  the  centennial 
of  the  Haystack  Prayer  Meeting  in  New  York  City  on  Novem- 
ber 15,  1906,  is  outlined  as  follows: 

1.  To  project  a campaign  of  education  among  laymen,  to 
be  conducted  under  the  direction  of  the  various  Boards. 

2.  To  devise  a comprehensive  plan  (in  conjunction  with 
said  Board  secretaries)  looking  toward  the  evangelization  of  the 
world  in  this  generation. 

3.  To  endeavor  to  form,  through  the  various  Boards,  a 
Centennial  Commission  of  Laymen,  fifty  or  m re  in  number,  to 
visit  as  early  as  possible  the  mission  fields  and  report  their 
findings  to  the  church  at  home. 


13 


We,  your  Committee,  recognize  the  imperative  necessity 
for  this  new  movement,  in  view  of  the  tremendous  demands  of 
a world  field,  white  for  the  harvest,  which  requires  that  the 
churches  of  Christendom  should  lay  plans  and  put  forth  effort 
adequate  to  meet  the  demands  that  are  upon  us. 

In  reviewing  the  paper  read  by  Mr.  Capen,  we  feel  that 
the  laymen  whom  he  represents  have  acted  with  eminent  wis- 
dom in  defining  what  this  movement  is  not  in  the  following 
language: 

**\,  It  is  not  a new  Missionary  Board  to  collect  funds  or 
to  administer  them;  it  is  not  to  raise  up  or  send  out  mission- 
aries; it  is  not  to  seek  to  use  its  influence  among  young  people, 
students  or  women,  but  its  work  is  to  be  chiefly  among  the 
mature  men  of  the  church." 

“2.  It  is  not  an  interdenominational  movement  which 
proposes  to  do  its  work  outside  of  regular  denominational  lines 
or  to  make  a new  missionary  Brotherhood  independent  of  those 
already  established." 

On  the  contrary,  they  made  it  very  clear  that  it  is  a mis- 
sionary movement  of  laymen  organized  into  a promoting  agency 
to  facilitate  work  already  under  way  and  we  believe  in  its 
spirit  of  broad  Christian  statesmanship. ' It  constitutes  a chal- 
lenge to  our  Boards  and  Missionary  Societies  to  larger  and 
higher  endeavor,  while  at  the  same  time  it  pledges  hearty  co- 
operation with  these  Boards,  and  does  not  contemplate  organi- 
zations which  shall  have  separate  and  distinct  existence,  but 
prefers  to  work  through  these  great  administrative  organiza- 
tions which  already  exist. 

In  view  of  the  foregoing,  your  committee  would  recom- 
mend that  this  Conference  of  Boards  should  give  its  hearty 
endorsement  to  the  resolutions  of  the  Executive  Committee  of 
the  Laymen’s  Missionary  Movement  which  have  been  submitted 
to  the  body  in  the  paper  now  under  consideration,  and  which 
read  as  follows: 

**Rcsolvcd:  '’^nat  we  earnestly  recommend  to  the  For- 
eign Missions  Boards  of  all  denominations  that  they  secure 
groups  of  laymen  to  promote  campaigns  of  intelligent  and  gen- 
erous interest  in  Foreign  Missions,  with  special  reference  to  the 


men  of  the  church,  the  expense  of  these  movements  to  be 
borne  whenever  possible  by  such  groups  of  men,  so  that  the 
funds  of  the  Boards  shall  not  be  drawn  upon." 

**Resolved:  That  we  request  the  Boards  to  ascertain 
from  their  missions  what  they  will  need  in  men  and  money  in 
order  to  evangelize  in  this  generation  the  peoples  for  whose 
evangelization  they  are  responsible;  that  we  further  request 
each  Board  to  consider  the  desirability  of  adopting  as  a part  of 
its  policy  the  provision  of  the  men  and  money  needed  for  this 
purpose;  and  we  further  request  each  Board  to  bring  before 
its  church  or  churches  the  question  of  the  authorization  of  this 
policy  and  the  adoption  of  such  plans  as  will  make  possible  its 
accomplishment." 

"Resolved:  That  we  pledge  the  support  of  this  move- 
ment to  the  Boards  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  policy  and 
objective." 


"Resolved:  That  we  urge  an  energetic  agitation  of  the 
whole  matter  with  a view  to  immediate  and  aggressive  action." 

Your  Committee  would  further  recommend  that  the 
Boards  and  Missionary  Societies  of  the  United  States  and  Can- 
ada, be  requested  to  cooperate  with  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  Movement,  in  the  appointment  of  the  Commission  re- 
quested by  the  laymen  in  their  paper,  and  in  conclusion — 


That  the  communication  to  this  conference  presented  by 
Mr.  Samuel  B.  Capen,  in  behalf  of  the  Laymen's  Missionary 
Movement,  on  account  of  its  pre-eminent  importance,  be  given 
the  widest  circulation  through  the  church  press,  and  in  pamph- 
let form,  in  addition  to  its  publication  in  the  proceedings  of 
this  body. 


Respectfully  submitted 
by  the  Committee 


f Alexander  Sutherland 
I Walter  R.  Lambuth 
< F.  P.  Haggard 
Robert  E.  Speer 
^ W.  Henry  Grant 


This  report  was  unanimously  approved  by  the  Conference. 


15 


SjagmfttB  lliBHtonarg  llDUpmfnt 

Olfttt^ntital  (CnmmtaHtan 


HAS  been  decided  by  the  Laymen’s  Missionary  Move- 
ment, after  consultation  with  the  Secretaries  of  all  the 
Foreign  Missions  Boards  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  with  their  most  cordial  endorsement,  to 
send  out  a Commission  of  laymen,  fifty  or  more  in  num- 
ber, to  visit  the  mission  fields  and  report  their  findings 
to  the  church  at  home.  Members  of  this  Commission 
may  pursue  their  investigations  any  time  during  the 
current  calendar  year,  the  final  report  of  the  Commis- 
sion as  a whole  not  being  issued  until  early  in  1908. 
It  will  not  be  necessary  or  desirable  for  all  members  of 
the  Commission  to  travel  together,  or  to  go  to  the  same 
fields.  It  is  hoped  that  the  Commission  may  be  broken 
up  into  groups,  so  that  practically  the  whole  of  the  non- 
Christian  world  can  be  visited.  Some  members  may 
not  be  able  to  give  more  than  a month  or  two  to  the 
investigation,  while  others  may  give  as  much  as  six 
months  or  more. 


It  is  expected  that  the  largest  single  party  of  the  Com- 
mi.ssioners  will  sail  from  the  Pacific  Coast  early  in  August, 
visiting  Japan,  China,  Korea,  the  Philippines,  India, 
Arabia,  Africa  and  Turkey.  The  cost  of  a ticket  around 
the  world  is  about  $600.  The  ncccssar}’’  incidental 
expenses  of  the  trip  would  probably  be  at  least  $6oo 
more. 

In  order  that  all  the  Commi.ssioncrs  may  have  before 
their  minds  the  same  general  questions  for  investiga- 
tion, no  matter  what  fields  they  may  visit,  a list  of  sug- 
gestions has  been  prepared  and  adopted  by  the  General 
Committees,  and  may  be  obtained  on  application  to  the 
Laymen’s  Mi.ssionary  Movement,  1 Madison  Square, 
New  York. 


I 


1 


